Bookbinding



March 25, 1941. A A, STRAUSS' 2,236,117

BOOKBINDING Filed July 18, 1940 woman Patented Mar. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES BOOKBINDING Albert A. Strauss, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application July 18, 1940, Serial N0. 346,223

4 Claims.

when the book is standing between other books on a book shelf.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a binding or cover for books of the type referred to, having a flat back provided with an extended reinforced surface projecting upon either side, whereby the printed matter on the back of the cover Will be rendered clear and distinct and can be read as easily as upon large volumes. Other objects will be apparent from the following detailed description in connection with the illustrations shown in the accompanying drawing:

Figures 1 to 4 indicate conventionally the different steps through which the cover is passed in the machine in forming a book;

Figure 5 shows the use of a filler member to reinforce the back and prevent denting;

Figure 6 illustrates the manner in which a plurality of books may be stacked preparatory to trimming the upper and lower ends; and

Figure '7 is a cross-sectional View of a completed book and the use of an intermediary filler element conforming to the fiat back and the curved or rounded back of the folded sheets of the book.

The book covers may be made from paper, cardboard, leather, cloth or other suitable material. A sheet 2 of the proper dimensions is positioned on the base plate or foundation block 3, of the folding machine, glue or other adhesive having first been applied to a central strip 2a, as by a roller or other suitable applicator.

The central portion of the sheet is then shaped to provide reentrant folds l5a extending along either side of the back portion l5 of the book cover. The distance between the folded sides l5a of the back l5, corresponds with the thickness of the folded leaves of the book. The glue or adhesive on the inside surface of folds a. cause them to become united into an integral reinforced extension upon either side of the back member.

The leaves of the catalogue, pamphlet or other book leaves may then be fastened to the cover in the usual manner by staples or sewing through the center of the leaves and the back of the cover as indicated in Fig. 3, forming a book as indicated in Fig. 4.

It is sometimes desirable to insert a small filler between the leaves and the inside of the back, as 5 indicated at 16 in Fig. 5 to prevent denting,

In the larger size books especially I provide an intermediary filler member l8 of flexible material having a flat outer side to engage the flat inner surface of the cover and an arcuate recessed in- 10 ner side to embrace the rounded central part of the book leaves. This greatly enhances the strength of the cover under the stresses of rough handling and maintains its shape as well as prolonging the life of the book.

When the ends of the books are to be trimmed,v they may be stacked in alternate manner as indicated in Fig. 6, back to front and front to back, so that they may be trimmed by present automatic trimming or cutting machines.

The improvement in bookbinding disclosed herein will be appreciated by publishers of small or thin books and by manufacturers, mail-order houses and other business concerns, in that it provides a broader flat area than heretofore available for the printing of titles, names, pamphletidentifying marks or labels or other data. The reinforced extensions upon either side of the back maintains the shape or form and resist any deformation due to rough usage. A further exceedingly practical and useful feature of this invention resides in the feature that the lateral reinforced projections prevent narrow or small booklets from being pushed back between other books on a shelf and thereby becoming obscured or lost.

I claim:

1. A cover for the binding of books of the character described, comprising a single sheet of material forming integral back and side cover portions, said back portion having reentrant folds integrally united to form rigid multi-ply lateral extensions in the plane of the back.

2. A cover for the binding of books of the character described, comprising a sheet of material forming integral back and side cover portions, said back portion being provided with multi-fold rigid lateral projections extending in the plane of the back upon either side thereof, said cover portions being integrally connected to the back at the inner edges of said extensions.

3. A cover for the binding of books of the character described, comprising a sheet of material forming integral back and side cover portions, said back portion having integral multi-ply B8 rigid side extensions projecting in the plane of the back portion upon either side of the side cover portions and a filler member interposed between the inner edges of said side extensions to brace said extensions and form a support for the back.

4. A cover for the binding of books of the character described, comprising integral back and side cover portions, said back portion having folded side extensions projecting in the plane of the back portion upon either side of the side cover portions and a. resilient filler member positioned between the inner edges of said extensions, having a flat outer surface to engage the inner surface of said back portion and a concave inner surface to receive the back of the assembled leaves of the book contents.

ALBERT A. STRAUSS. 

